The waters of the living fount,14631463 The Jewish people
leaving Christ, “the fountain of living waters”
(Jer. ii. 13; John vii.
37–39), is compared to
Hagar leaving the well, which was, we may well believe, close to
Abraham’s tent. and drinks—

In a face-mirror14731473 Speculo
vultus. The two words seem to me to go together, and,
unless the second be indeed redundant, to mean perhaps a small
hand-mirror, which affords more facilities for minute
examination of the face than a larger fixed one.
their sure hope.

Himself

55 The patriarch Judah,
see; the origin

152Of royal
line,14741474
“Sortis;” lit. “lot,” here ="the line or
family chosen by lot.” Compare the similar
derivation of “clergy.” whence leaders rose, nor kings

(Manifestly to the People) with the
Christ,14761476 I have ventured to substitute
“Christo” for
“Christi;” and thus, for “Cum Christi populo manifeste multa
locutus,” read, “Cum Christo (populo manifeste)
multa locutus.” The reference is to the fact, on which
such special stress is laid, of the Lord’s “speaking to
Moses face to face, as a man speaketh with his
friend.” See especially Num. xii. 5–8, Deut. xxxiv. 9–12,
with Deut. xviii. 17–19, Acts iii. 22, 23, vii. 37.

From whose face light and brilliance in his own

Reflected shone; dashed on the ground the law

75 Accepted through some few,14771477 The Latin in Oehler and Migne is thus: “Acceptam legem per paucos fudit in
orbem;” and the reference seems to me to be to
Ex. xxxii.
15–20, though the use
of “orbem” for “ground” is perhaps strange; but
“humum” would have been against the metre, if that argument
be of any weight in the case of a writer so prolific of false
quantities. Possibly the lines may mean that “he diffused
through some few”—i.e., through the Jews, “few”
as compared with the total inhabitants of the orb—“the Law
which he had received;” but then the following line seems rather
to favour the former view, because the tables of the Law—called
briefly “the Law”—broken by Moses so soon after he
had received them, were typical of the inefficacy of all Moses’
own toils, which, after all, ended in disappointment, as he was
forbidden, on account of a sin committed in the very last of the forty
years, to lead the people into “the land,” as he had fondly
hoped to do. Only I suspect some error in “per
paucos;” unless it be lawful to supply “dies,”
and take it to mean “received during but few days,” i.e.,
“within few days,” “only a few days
before,” and “accepted” or “kept” by the
People “during but a few days.” Would it be lawful to
conjecture “perpaucis” as one
word, with “ante diebus” to be understood?—implicit type,

By virtue,14841484 Or,
“valour.” tutelary
dignity,14851485 The Latin runs thus: “Acer in hostem. Non virtute sua tutelam
acquirere genti.” I have ventured to read
“suæ,” and connect it with
“genti;” and thus have obtained what seems to me a probable
sense. See Judg. viii.
22, 23.)

And needing to be strengthened14861486 I read
“firmandus” for
“firmatus.” in the faith

Excited in his mind, seeks for a sign

105 Whereby he either could not, or could,
wage

Victorious war; to wit, that with the dew

A fleece, exposèd for the night, should be

Moistened, and all the ground lie dry around

(By this to show that, with the world,14871487 Mundo. should dry14881488 I have again ventured
a correction, “coarescere” for
“coalescere.” It makes at
least some sense out of an otherwise (to me)
unintelligible passage, the “palm” being taken as the
well-known symbol of bloom and triumph. So David in
Ps. xcii. 12 (xci. 13 in LXX.), “The
righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree.”
To “dry” here is, of course, neuter, and means to
“wither.”

110 The enemies’ palm); and then again, the
fleece

Alone remaining dry, the earth by night

Should with the self-same14891489 I have changed
“eadem”—which must agree with
“nocte,” and hence give a false sense; for it was
not, of course, on “the same night,” but on the
next, that this second sign was given—into
“eodem,” to agree with
“liquore,” which gives a true one, as the
“moisture,” of course, was the same,—dew,
namely.
moisture be bedewed:

180 Bade men observe, who ended war by
prayers,15061506 Our author is quite
correct in his order. A comparison of dates as given in the
Scripture history shows us that his reforms preceded his war with
Sennacherib.

Was rapt;15071507 The
“tactus” of the Latin is without sense, unless indeed it
refer to his being twice “touched” by an angel. See
1 Kings (in LXX. 3 Kings) xix.
1–8. I have
therefore substituted “raptus,” there being no mention of
the angel in the Latin. who hath not tasted
yet death’s dues;

Since to the orb he is to come again.

195 His faith unbroken, then, chastening with
stripes

People and frenzied king, (who did desert

The Lord’s best service), and with bitter
flames

The foes, shut up the stars; kept in the clouds

The rain; showed all collectively that God

200 Is; made their error patent;—for a
flame,

Coming with force from heaven at his prayers,

Ate up the victim’s parts, dripping with
flood,

Upon the altar:15081508
“Aras” should probably be
“aram.”—often as
he willed,

The People to chastise:15131513 Our author has
somewhat mistaken Elisha’s mission apparently; for as there is a
significant difference in the meaning of their respective names, so
there is in their works: Elijah’s miracles being rather
miracles of judgment, it has been remarked; Elisha’s, of
mercy. such and so great

A love for the Lord’s cause he breathed. He
smote

Through Jordan; made his feet a way, and crossed

Again; raised with a twig the axe down—sunk

215 Beneath the stream; changed into vital
meat

The deathful food; detained a second time,

Double in length,15141514 The reference is to a
famine in Elisha’s days, which—2 Kings (in
LXX. 4 Kings) viii. i.—was to last seven
years; whereas that for which Elijah prayed, as we learn in
Jas. v. 17., lasted three and six
months. But it is not said that Elisha prayed for that
famine.
the rains; cleansed leprosies;15151515 We only read of
one leprosy which Elisha cleansed—Naaman’s. He
inflicted leprosy on Gehazi, which was “to cleave to him
and to his seed for ever.”

Entangled foes in darkness; and when one

Offcast and dead, by bandits’slaughter slain

220 His limbs, after his death, already hid

In sepulchre, did touch, he—light
recalled—

Revived.

Isaiah, wealthy seer, to
whom

The fount was oped,—so manifest his faith!

Poured from his mouth God’s word forth.
Promised was

225 The Father’s will, bounteous through
Christ; through him

It testified before the way of life,

And was approved:15161516 Prætestata
viam vitæ atque probata per ipsam est. I
suspect we should read “via,” quantity
being of no importance with our author, and take
“prætestata” as passive: “The way of life
was testified before, and proved, through him.” but him, though stainless
found,

And undeserving, the mad People cut

With wooden saw in twain, and took away

230 With cruel death.

The holy Jeremy

Followed; whom the Eternal’s Virtue bade

Be prophet to the Gentiles, and him told

The future: who, because he brooded o’er

His People’s deeds illaudable, and said

235 (Speaking with voice presaging) that,
unless

They had repented of betaking them

To deeds iniquitous against their slaves,15171517 This seems to be the
meaning, and the reference will then be to Jer. xxxiv. 8–22 (in LXX. xli. 8–22); but the
punctuation both in Oehler and Migne makes nonsense, and I have
therefore altered it.

They should be captived, bore hard bonds, shut up

In squalid gaol; and, in the miry pit,

240 Hunger exhausted his decaying limbs.

But, after he did prove what they to hear

Had been unwilling, and the foes did lead

The People bound in their triumphal trains,

Hardly at length his wrinkled right hand lost

245 Its chains: it is agreed that by no
death

Nor slaughter was the hero ta’en away.

Faithful Ezekiel, to whom
granted was

Rich grace of speech, saw sinners’ secrets;
wailed

His own afflictions; prayed for pardon; saw

250 The vengeance of the saints, which is to
be

By slaughter; and, in Spirit wrapt, the place

Of the saints’ realm, its steps and accesses,

And the salvation of the flesh, he saw.

Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, too,

255 With Obadiah,
Jonah, Nahum, come;

Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,

And Zechariah who did
violence

Suffer, and Malachi—angel
himself!

Are here: these are the Lord’s seers; and
their choir,

260 As still they sing, is heard; and equally

Their proper wreath of praise they all have earned.

How great was Daniel! What
a man!

What power!

Who by their own mouth did false witnesses

Bewray, and saved a soul on a false charge

265 Condemned;15181518 See the apocryphal
“Susanna.”
and, before that, by mouth resolved

And, openly preserved15191519 For
“servatisque palam cunctis in pace
quievit,” which the edd. give, I suggest
“servatusque,” etc., and take
“palam” for governing “cunctis.”
before all eyes,

270 Rested in peace.

His Three Companions, scarce

With due praise to be sung, did piously

Contemn the king’s iniquitous decree,

Out of so great a number: to the flames

Their bodies given were; but they preferred,

275 For the Great Name, to yield to penalties

Themselves, than to an image stretch their palms

On bended knees. Now their o’erbrilliant
faith,

Now hope outshining all things, the wild fires

Hath quencht, and vanquisht the iniquitous!

280 Ezra the seer, doctor
of Law, and priest

Himself (who, after full times, back did lead

The captive People), with the Spirit filled

Of memory, restored by word of mouth

All the seers’ volumes, by the fires and
mould15201520 Ignibus et
multa consumpta volumina vatum.
Multamust, apparently, be an error for some word
signifying “mould” or the like; unless, with the disregard
of construction and quantity observable in this author, it be an
acc. pl. to agree with volumina, so that we
must take “omnia multa
volumina” together, which would alter the whole
construction of the context.

295 Lightening the world15241524 Mundo. with light; comrades of Christ

And apostolic men; who, speaking truth,

Heard with their ears Salvation,15251525 Salutem =Christum. So Simeon, “Mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation,” where the Greek word should be noted and compared
with its usage in the LXX., especially in the Psalms. See
Luke ii. 30. with their eyes

Celestial, and15281528 The common reading is,
“Atque suæ famulæ portavit spreta
dolorem,” for which Oehler reads
“portarit;” but I incline rather to
suggest that “portavit” be retained,
but that the “atque” be changed into
“aeque,” thus:
“Aeque suæ famulæ portavit spreta
dolorem;” i.e., Since, like Sarah, the once barren
Christian church-mother hath had children, equally, like Sarah,
hath she had to bear scorn and spleen at her handmaid’s—the
Jewish church-mother’s—hands. been spurned,
and borne the spleen15291529 Dolorem.

To men profane: with them the
giants,15311531 “Immanes,”
if it be the true reading. men

With Christ’s own glory satiated, made

The consorts of His virtue, filling up

The hallowed words, have stablished our faith;

355 By facts predictions proving.

Of these men

Disciples who succeeded them throughout

The orb, men wholly filled with virtue’s
breath,

And our own masters, have assigned to us

Honours conjoined with works.

Of whom the first

360 Whom Peter bade to
take his place and sit

Upon this chair in mightiest Rome where he

Himself had sat,15321532 This is the way Oehler’s punctuation
reads. Migne’s reads as follows:— …“Of whom the first Whom mightiest Rome bade take his place and sit Upon the chair where Peter’s self
had sat,” etc.
was Linus, great, elect,

And by the mass approved. And after him

Cletus himself the fold’s
flock undertook;

365 As his successor Anacletus was

By lot located: Clement
follows him;

Well known was he to apostolic men:15331533 “Is apostolicis
bene notus.” This may mean, (a) as in our
text; (b) by his apostolically-minded writings—writings
like an apostle’s; or (c) by the apostolic writings, i.e.,
by the mention made of him, supposing him to be the same, in
Phil. iv. 3.

Because he spake the words delivered him:15371537 An allusion to
the well-known Pastor or Shepherd of Hermas.

390 And Anicetus15381538 Our author makes the
name Anicetus. Rig. (as quoted by Oehler) observes that a
comparison of the list of bishops of Rome here given with that given by
Tertullian in de Præscr., c. xxxii., seems to show that
this metrical piece cannot be his. the allotted post

1473 Speculo
vultus. The two words seem to me to go together, and,
unless the second be indeed redundant, to mean perhaps a small
hand-mirror, which affords more facilities for minute
examination of the face than a larger fixed one.

1474
“Sortis;” lit. “lot,” here ="the line or
family chosen by lot.” Compare the similar
derivation of “clergy.”

1477 The Latin in Oehler and Migne is thus: “Acceptam legem per paucos fudit in
orbem;” and the reference seems to me to be to
Ex. xxxii.
15–20, though the use
of “orbem” for “ground” is perhaps strange; but
“humum” would have been against the metre, if that argument
be of any weight in the case of a writer so prolific of false
quantities. Possibly the lines may mean that “he diffused
through some few”—i.e., through the Jews, “few”
as compared with the total inhabitants of the orb—“the Law
which he had received;” but then the following line seems rather
to favour the former view, because the tables of the Law—called
briefly “the Law”—broken by Moses so soon after he
had received them, were typical of the inefficacy of all Moses’
own toils, which, after all, ended in disappointment, as he was
forbidden, on account of a sin committed in the very last of the forty
years, to lead the people into “the land,” as he had fondly
hoped to do. Only I suspect some error in “per
paucos;” unless it be lawful to supply “dies,”
and take it to mean “received during but few days,” i.e.,
“within few days,” “only a few days
before,” and “accepted” or “kept” by the
People “during but a few days.” Would it be lawful to
conjecture “perpaucis” as one
word, with “ante diebus” to be understood?

1485 The Latin runs thus: “Acer in hostem. Non virtute sua tutelam
acquirere genti.” I have ventured to read
“suæ,” and connect it with
“genti;” and thus have obtained what seems to me a probable
sense. See Judg. viii.
22, 23.

1488 I have again ventured
a correction, “coarescere” for
“coalescere.” It makes at
least some sense out of an otherwise (to me)
unintelligible passage, the “palm” being taken as the
well-known symbol of bloom and triumph. So David in
Ps. xcii. 12 (xci. 13 in LXX.), “The
righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree.”
To “dry” here is, of course, neuter, and means to
“wither.”

1489 I have changed
“eadem”—which must agree with
“nocte,” and hence give a false sense; for it was
not, of course, on “the same night,” but on the
next, that this second sign was given—into
“eodem,” to agree with
“liquore,” which gives a true one, as the
“moisture,” of course, was the same,—dew,
namely.

1490 Equite. It
appears to be used loosely for “men of war” generally.

1491 Which is taken, from
its form, as a sign of the cross; see below.

1506 Our author is quite
correct in his order. A comparison of dates as given in the
Scripture history shows us that his reforms preceded his war with
Sennacherib.

1507 The
“tactus” of the Latin is without sense, unless indeed it
refer to his being twice “touched” by an angel. See
1 Kings (in LXX. 3 Kings) xix.
1–8. I have
therefore substituted “raptus,” there being no mention of
the angel in the Latin.

1513 Our author has
somewhat mistaken Elisha’s mission apparently; for as there is a
significant difference in the meaning of their respective names, so
there is in their works: Elijah’s miracles being rather
miracles of judgment, it has been remarked; Elisha’s, of
mercy.

1514 The reference is to a
famine in Elisha’s days, which—2 Kings (in
LXX. 4 Kings) viii. i.—was to last seven
years; whereas that for which Elijah prayed, as we learn in
Jas. v. 17., lasted three and six
months. But it is not said that Elisha prayed for that
famine.

1515 We only read of
one leprosy which Elisha cleansed—Naaman’s. He
inflicted leprosy on Gehazi, which was “to cleave to him
and to his seed for ever.”

1516 Prætestata
viam vitæ atque probata per ipsam est. I
suspect we should read “via,” quantity
being of no importance with our author, and take
“prætestata” as passive: “The way of life
was testified before, and proved, through him.”

1517 This seems to be the
meaning, and the reference will then be to Jer. xxxiv. 8–22 (in LXX. xli. 8–22); but the
punctuation both in Oehler and Migne makes nonsense, and I have
therefore altered it.

1519 For
“servatisque palam cunctis in pace
quievit,” which the edd. give, I suggest
“servatusque,” etc., and take
“palam” for governing “cunctis.”

1520 Ignibus et
multa consumpta volumina vatum.
Multamust, apparently, be an error for some word
signifying “mould” or the like; unless, with the disregard
of construction and quantity observable in this author, it be an
acc. pl. to agree with volumina, so that we
must take “omnia multa
volumina” together, which would alter the whole
construction of the context.

1528 The common reading is,
“Atque suæ famulæ portavit spreta
dolorem,” for which Oehler reads
“portarit;” but I incline rather to
suggest that “portavit” be retained,
but that the “atque” be changed into
“aeque,” thus:
“Aeque suæ famulæ portavit spreta
dolorem;” i.e., Since, like Sarah, the once barren
Christian church-mother hath had children, equally, like Sarah,
hath she had to bear scorn and spleen at her handmaid’s—the
Jewish church-mother’s—hands.

1532 This is the way Oehler’s punctuation
reads. Migne’s reads as follows:— …“Of whom the first Whom mightiest Rome bade take his place and sit Upon the chair where Peter’s self
had sat,” etc.

1533 “Is apostolicis
bene notus.” This may mean, (a) as in our
text; (b) by his apostolically-minded writings—writings
like an apostle’s; or (c) by the apostolic writings, i.e.,
by the mention made of him, supposing him to be the same, in
Phil. iv. 3.

1538 Our author makes the
name Anicetus. Rig. (as quoted by Oehler) observes that a
comparison of the list of bishops of Rome here given with that given by
Tertullian in de Præscr., c. xxxii., seems to show that
this metrical piece cannot be his.